Engine stalls when pressing acceleration pedal

Tiny
MARTYNAS JAKšYS
  • MEMBER
  • 1989 CHEVROLET CELEBRITY
  • 2.8L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 60,000 MILES
So the car listed above is a Eurosport. I have this car several years (trying to restore it), problem existed when previous owner had it, basically engine stalls when pressing gas pedal more quickly when the first radiator fan cycle work from cold, the RPM drops so low and it stalls if I dont let go pedal, if I press pedal slower it dont stall, but I can hear it is misfiring or some cylinder dont work(i dont know how to explain this) and this is in park/neultral, in drive it stalls immediately when I touch or a bit press pedal, so I cant drive the car when the first fan cycle from cold stops. Second cycle is like normal and is drivable. First fan cycle somehow starts at somewhere 50 degrees celsius and it may not stop from 10min to 3h time(at normal fan cycle temperature goes up to 105 degrees I think and only then fan starts, fan stops when temperature reaches about 85 or 75 degrees I think. What was done searching the problem in several years changed:
throttle position sensor;
coolant temp sensor;
map sensor;
cleaned throttle body, EGR valve, all the wire adapters in engine bay;
used injector cleaner with full tank of fuel, when I dissasembled uper intake manifold and tested fuel injectors Ohms, I found 1 bad at 6 Ohm, others were 12 Ohm, so I changed it with restored one from amazon;
new throttle body, intake manifold and EGR valve gaskets;
then I tested fuel preassure with gage and it was stable 35psi engine running with no drops. So the fuel pump is good, I can hear it when key is on before starting engine;
changed spark plugs and wires to new ones;
perfomed idle relearn procedure after changed a part every time numerous times( that was dificult to find out how to do that on this engine without OBD1 computer);
performed OBD1 selftest(when shorted A and B terminals), the only code that it flashed when I pressed pedal about 30min and holded was about O2 sensor so I changed it;
disassembled coil packs cleaned eveything no cracks or anyghing similar found, assembled all back and pulled wire after wire at coils it was ticking and I can see the spark so the spark I think is good.
So I have 2 parts now new iac valve and crankshaft sensor i, will be trying out these.
I searched all over the internet and its so frustrating that there is no 1 basic explanation for this problem, some people dont even find the solution I think because its dificult to investigate, but for others is difrent things that helped.
In my case, in europe this car is very rare especialy here in Lithuania I think it is the only one, 90 percent of the cars in my country are diesels up to 2.5l, in my town I dont think there is somebody that could tell me egzactly what is wrong, because no one have OBD1 scanner that can see live data for egzactly this model.
So it becomes more and more dificult to me, car sits, it is dificult to find parts, shipping times are long from America or Europe.
I could make a video if somebody knows egzactly what is wrong, I need help at this point. The last think I would want to change is ECM or fuel pump or enything that is more expensive, but before that I clearly need to know that it is the main solution to this problem.
Im a computer technician, so the cars isnt my thing that I could work:).
Sunday, May 10th, 2020 AT 7:53 AM

14 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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  • 52,797 POSTS
Good morning,

If you remove the vacuum line from the regulator with it running, does the pressure rise? See if the still stalls.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/engine-stalls

Yes, I think you are close to an ECM.

What was the code number when you checked the codes?

Roy
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Sunday, May 10th, 2020 AT 8:17 AM
Tiny
MARTYNAS JAKšYS
  • MEMBER
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Next week I will try to test this. When I checked the codes I think the code was 45, it was a year ago:), after I changed Oxygen sensor, and cleared the memory disconnecting battery for 24h, no codes came up ever. The Oxygen sensor tip had some white burned material on it, and when I changed the spark plugs, one of the old spark plug had similar white burned material on the tip, so it may be coincidence I don't know. I will make some photos I think.
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Sunday, May 10th, 2020 AT 10:24 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Okay, there is no resetting the old cars. Pulling the battery does nothing. If you have a codes and made the correct repair, the light goes out on its own.

Keep me updated.

Roy
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Sunday, May 10th, 2020 AT 10:29 AM
Tiny
MARTYNAS JAKšYS
  • MEMBER
  • 5 POSTS
In some other forum, there is service bulletin for Idle relearn procedure I think it is directly from General Motors, there is my 2.8 MPFI engine mentioned and 3.1 as well. So yes for my engine ECM must be reset for Idle relearn. I think for the codes is the same thing, Check Engine light may go out when repair is made, but it stores the code in some type of memory, so when the diagnostics terminal are used it shows the previous code as well. I may be wrong at this point, but in that bulletin is not mentioned 2.5l engine, so on that engine may be there is no ECM reset. That is only my thoughts, but thanks for advice, I will keep you updated.
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Sunday, May 10th, 2020 AT 11:43 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Okay, got it.

There are relearns for the OBD1 computers at all. The prom contains all the information. Removing a battery cable does nothing for a code at all. If it does anything, it just makes it forget the code as in the newer cars as well but the code will return.

Yes, when the repair is done and successful, the light will got out and the code is stored in long term memory. If you pull the battery cable, that information is lost.

Roy
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Sunday, May 10th, 2020 AT 11:47 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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There is not enough pressure to properly supply fuel to the engine.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-replace-an-electric-fuel-pump

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-fuel-system-pressure-and-regulator

I attached the spec plus the procedure for replacing the pump.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

Roy
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Saturday, September 18th, 2021 AT 6:54 AM
Tiny
MARTYNAS JAKšYS
  • MEMBER
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Sorry for very late update, I did find the problem and it was the ECM it self. I bought OBD 1 connector to PC and software, tested when engine runs, and the strange thing I noticed in PC screen was that: radiator Fan was always activated, even when the engine is cold and when the fan actually starts spinning the RPM goes down, pressing gas pedal stalls. I bought another ECM, the chip kept the same, now it runs perfectly fine, no stalls at all. Bad ECM some how shorts cooling system electricaly and it goes worse and worse with time. On another ECM fan is only activated when temperature reaches about 105 degrees and is disactivated when cooling cycle stops around 75-85 degrees. If someone have the same problem, first check how radiator fan works, if it starts spinning and then starts stall and idle RPM goes down it is a clue that is electrical problem with the ECM, and leave a comment here.
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Saturday, September 18th, 2021 AT 10:02 AM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Key on, engine off it should be 40-45 pounds.

Do you have that?

Roy
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Saturday, September 18th, 2021 AT 11:13 AM
Tiny
MARTYNAS JAKšYS
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Yes it is nearly 40, the problem with my car was bad ECM, I changed it, now it runs without stalls or RPM drops.
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Saturday, September 18th, 2021 AT 1:15 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Are you saying the car will not move like the transmission is not working?

Can you please explain a little more?

Roy
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Saturday, September 18th, 2021 AT 5:04 PM
Tiny
BIGD94
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No, it'll start but one in gear it stall or bog out if I rev it up then drop. It it'll move but will shut off when stopping.
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Saturday, September 18th, 2021 AT 5:25 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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This sounds like a torque converter locked up. GM had huge issues with the converters causing the engines to stall and have no power.

Does it stall in reverse as well?

Roy
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Saturday, September 18th, 2021 AT 5:28 PM
Tiny
BIGD94
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Yeah, it'll do it in reverse as well.
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Saturday, September 18th, 2021 AT 6:31 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
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Okay, this definitively sounds like a torque converter in the transmission.

I would take it to a transmission shop and have them verify it.

Roy
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Sunday, September 19th, 2021 AT 4:05 AM

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